The June/July issues of Uplook magazine is out, and available for free online! The new issue features over a dozen new essays and articles which cover topics ranging from the creation/evolution debate to the importance of focusing on the right things in life. There’s also a provocative article by by Donald Norbie asking a question Americans generally prefer to sidestep: is obesity and overeating a sin?

Grab the new issue in PDF (and browse through the archive of past issues) at the Uplook magazine downloads page.

A report that 170 Christian leaders and pastors recently viewed the Jesus Film in their mother tongue is already a noteworthy event, but what makes this story even better is that this was the first time any of those leaders had ever seen any movie in their own language. Read Clark Farley’s story about his recent missions trip to Nicaragua on the Jesus Film blog:

“… Back in January, at the very last minute, we contacted you about getting a copy of the “JESUS” film in the Miskito language. We were headed to the [Mosquito Coast] on the east coast of Nicaragua with a group of physicians and dentists and helpers to put on medical clinics and evangelical activities. … it was an unbelievable blessing to the native Indian population of Nicaragua. We held a pastors’ seminar for four days in Puerto Cabezas. We invited 100 pastors, and 170 showed up. Some traveled for over two days down the Rio Coco. Two came all the way from Honduras. These pastors were starved for some training. But the “JESUS” film in their native language was, by far, the hit of the conference. These men and women had never seen ANY movie in their native tongue. They watched the “JESUS” film with their mouths open. They did not move till it was over. We selected a pastor who had traveled the farthest, and we gave him a copy of the film and a Sony portable DVD player so he could take the film back to his village in the jungle. I just want to thank you for all you do. You are truly a wonderful blessing to this world.”

You can watch the film in the Miskito language, or watch it in the language of your choice here.

(HT: Mission Network News)

It’s been several weeks since the death of uber-entertainer Michael Jackson, and as time has passed, so has the media frenzy that surrounded the event. Few bloggers and pundits have not had something to say on the topic, but I think there’s room for some reflection on Jackson’s life and death from a Christian perspective.

To that end, there’s a good post at the Digital Evangelism Issues blog about the Jackson media frenzy, with some solid links (one dispelling a Christian myth that’s already sprung up around the story of Jackson’s death—that didn’t take long!). James Watkins has also blogged a bit about Jackson’s passing. Good starts to what I hope is a broader conversation in the Christian community about fame, celebrity, and the way we relate to cultural icons like Jackson.